"I was sending over firewire using either component or s-video output. Then I dug out a long s-video cable and ran it to my 4:3 TV in the next room. No letterbox there either. Wierd. I guess you actually have to burn to disk for that to work? Didn't try cause I don't have extra disks handy, nor do I have any I recorded on hand. But if I put in a commercial anamorphic DVD it properly letterboxes it on a 4:3 screen. So maybe that's something it can only do on playback?"

Josh: yes, this seems to be how my RDR-GX7 behaves. It doesn't letterbox anamorphic video during the record process, but when you burn a DVD with the widescreen menu option selected it will be letterboxed upon playback.